Travel Talk News

In this edition of World Travel Radio presenter Phil Blizzard looks at the Billionaire Lifestyle Experience - a three-week long holiday with guests staying across the world in ten of the most luxurious and extravagant hotel suites

New investment into the global cruise industry will see new builds taking to the seas – including Quantum of the Seas from Royal Caribbean – in quarter four of 2014. Deployment shifting will enable old favourites to boost capacity and new territories will open up fresh markets as Helen Beck, regional director, international representatives, EMEA, Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises explains in this interview with Phil Blizzard.

Khalid Al Zadjali, director of tourism events, ministry of tourism, Oman talks to Phil Blizzard at the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, Abu Dhabi about their infra-structure development plans to assist both cruise operators and passengers. He also talks about the Sultanate’s three very distinctive ports of call - Khasab in the northern enclave of Musandam, the natural harbour in the capital Muscat and the fertile landscape of Salalah in the south of the country.

Major orders for the next generation Boeing 777X, the 787 Dreamliner and the narrow-bodied 737 have given the American aircraft manufacturer a spectacular start to the 13th Dubai Air Show. Phil Blizzard talks to Randy J Tinseth, vice president, marketing, commercial airplanes, Boeing about the orders and the appeal of the show’s star - the Boeing 777X. He also talks about the innovations passengers can expect with this next generation aircraft which is being developed around the hugely successful Boeing 777.

Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths talks to Phil Blizzard about the development plans for the newly opened Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central which could see passenger numbers topping 200 million per year. He also outlines the growth of Dubai International Airport which is seeing a 24 per cent increase in passenger numbers and being based in the centre of the city could soon run out of space.

Phil Blizzard meets up with Jean Francois Laurent, the general manager of Anantara’s first resort in Dubai, which is located on the iconic man made island - Palm Jumeirah. In this part of the interview Jean talks about his thirty year plus career in the hospitality industry which has taken him from Europe to the Indian Ocean and the Middle East, including a three year stint as general manager of the Royal Court in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Jean Francois Laurent talks about the key aspects of their new resort on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai and how they mix the Thai spirit with the indigenous values of the host country. In conversation with Phil Blizzard he alludes to their key source markets, the importance of the MICE sector and to being ‘green’ with electric Tuk Tuks. Finally, he states what it means to be hosting the World Travel Awards Asia & Australasia Gala Ceremony.

In this edition Phil Bizzard meets Mouhamad Hadla, hotel manager, Rixos Palm Dubai. He talks about the Rixos brand, which has made its Dubai debut on the iconic Palm Jumeirah, and provides an overview of what this luxury resort offers its guests.

Mouhamad Hadla continues his conversation with Phil Blizzard talking about famous guests, such as Jennifer Lopez, who have stayed at this luxury resort. He also talks about the importance of being located on Dubai’s iconic man made island Palm Jumeriah.